What the Heck is Nintendo Labo?

Nintendo’s got a brand new idea, and it centers around…cardboard? Yeah, like me, you might be rather confused right now. Apparently, Nintendo Labo, one of Nintendo’s newest products, is a kit that includes cardboard sheets with patterns printed on them (and the corresponding game, though I must admit that Nintendo’s ad on the subject didn’t make this very clear). These patterns can be put together to create what appears to be a variety of gaming peripherals, from fishing poles to pianos, which work with your Switch.

I must admit that when I first heard about this idea,, it just seemed…so weird. The longer I thought about it, however, the more advantages I saw to this seemingly bizarre product. First of all, for anyone who likes to create things with their hands, this would probably be pretty fun to put together. And some of the things you can make look pretty complex, too. Secondly…as strange as cardboard sounds, it’s actually a great alternative to all those plastic peripherals they made for the Wii, considering cardboard is lightweight and easily recyclable when one no longer has any use for it.

One issue that has come up is the question of durability. Just how well-made will these cardboard contraptions be in the long run? While I’m sure Nintendo Labo must use some fairly sturdy cardboard, only time will tell if this stuff will stand the test of time. People have said that cardboard peripherals are silly because you could destroy it by accidentally spilling water onto it. Well, I’d sure hate to spill water on a lot of the products I own, cardboard or otherwise, so I think that’s always a concern. Computers are pretty silly, too, if you look at it from that perspective.

Video from Youtube User: Nintendo

The variety kit is $70, and the robot kit is $80, both of which should be released on April 20. While this is not something that personally interests me (I really prefer it when my games require nothing more than a controller), I could see the right group of people having fun with this. What about you, dear readers, what are your thoughts on Nintendo Labo? Do you think the idea is just plain weird or do you see the appeal? Please let us know in the comments below!